Tropical Fish for Freshwater Aquariums: Rainbow Shark - Live Aquaria

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Rainbow Shark - Epalzeorhynchos frenatus - This listing is for one Rainbow Shark - HEALTHY TROPICAL FISH - approx 5-6 cm. Please do your research before purchasing these fish to make sure they are suitable for your aquarium. healthy, Live Tropical fishPhoto provided by Flickr

The Rainbow Shark is great for a semi-aggressive community aquarium, provided they are the only shark in the tank, and their tankmates are of similar size. Rainbow sharks are compatible with Barbs, Rainbowfish, Danios, Loaches, Plecos, Rasboras, and Gouramis. They are not compatible with smaller, more timid fish which they will dominate and terrorize.
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I recently introduced two small (2 inch) Rainbow Sharks to my desk aquarium. Within a day, one was not in good shape because of stress from the aggressive behavior of the other one. The tank was far too small for both of them. I'd recommend making sure that there is enough room for them to claim territories if you intend to add more than one Rainbow Shark to your aquarium. Other than that, they are beautiful fish and they add a lot of color and activity to my tank! I highly recommend them!Hi, there is a very simple rule for rainbow n red fin sharks, and some other semi aggressive fish like blue Gourami, either keep single in an aquarium or keep atleast 4-5, that way the dominant one doesnt always chase the same fish of its species and all get enough time for rest beside company, i have 5 red fin and 1 rainbow shark, often they do their dominance dance around each other, if u know what i mean, but meanwhile a 3rd or 4th fish comes by and their focus shifts, day saved!! Its interesting to watch their moves and all, but ive never had any issues keeping 6of the same species, if its just a pair naturally the dominant one will always chase the same fish again n again all day long, killing its personality, the golden rule is, either keep 1 or many, 4-5 at least, never a pair!I wouldn't recommend rainbow sharks for a community aquarium. I never bought two, but I had one about a year and a half ago and whenever any fish smaller than him got near the middle, or bottom of my 20g tank he'd chase them as soon as he saw them. I brought this fish back, and the salesperson understood; most stores will take these back if you just explain why you bought them. you visit an aquarium shop it is very likely you find one of these guys. They can be either gray with orange-red fins or white with more red fins. Sometimes you can see them under the name Red tailed sharks, since some shops misidentify their fish. But Red tailed shark is an entirely different fish. It has a black bulkier body with only one – tail - red fin and it will grow smaller, so watch out. Rainbow sharks can be found under their Latin names Epalzeorhynchos frenatum and the white is Epalzeorhynchos munense or under common names like the mentioned Rainbow shark, but also as Red finned shark or Ruby shark and the albino form is mostly called simply Albino rainbow shark or less often the Golden shark. As most of the fish in aquatic trade, they are small and shy when you see them, but don't be fooled. They grow big and territorial even if the clerk tells you otherwise.Not nearly as hostile or aggressive as its red-tail cousin, the rainbow shark fares well in community aquariums that do not have occupants boasting excessive finnage, such as bettas and fancy guppies, as those elaborately finned and slow-moving fish are ripe targets for occasional fin nipping. Naturally a secretive and retiring species, the rainbow shark also needs an adequate amount of hiding places, caves, and dark retreats in which it can escape the bustle and flow of the general aquarium.The rainbow shark (Epalzeorhynchos frenatus) is a popular freshwater aquarium fish which belongs to the family Cyprinidae under order Cypriniformes of Class Actinopterygii. It is also referred to as the ruby shark, red fin shark, red finned shark, rainbow shark minnow, green fringelip labeo, whitefin shark and whitetail shark minnow. It is native to the basins of Mekong, Chao Phraya, Xe Bangfai and Maeklong in Thailand and Indonesia. It is found near any type of solid surface at mid water and bottom depths in streams and rivers. It also moves into seasonally flooded habitats and returns to the rivers during dry season.

Rainbow Shark | Page 6 - Fish Lore Aquarium Fish Forum

The rainbow shark's aggression is a direct result of this fish's territorialism. If you have a large enough aquarium, such as a 55 gallon tank, with plenty of hiding places for each rainbow shark to have its own territory, you should be able to keep more than one rainbow shark per tank. Each rainbow shark will establish their own territories and then defend it against any intruders.